The huge financial meltdown scandal revolving around the Enron corporation in 2002 may lead to speculation concerning a standard entitled Angry. The lyrics to this '20s tune, rescued from the limbo of public domain and restored to copyright protection by Sonny Bono himself in an act of Congress, were written by one Dudley Mecum. There was also a Dudley Mecum involved with the Enron case, namely a heavy-hitter at the connected DynaCorp company. Considering the title of the song -- after all, who wasn't Angry about Enron? -- it seems too ironic to be true that there would be any connection between this pair of fellows named Mecum. And it is. More than half of a century separates them, as well as a host of other factors, including their professions.

Far from being a money-grubbing CEO, Mecum was a pianist, vocalist and songwriter based out of Chicago who was associated with his own group called Dudley Mecum's Wolverines as well as other '20s performing ensembles such as Merritt Brunies His Friar's Inn Orchestra. This brings him into that musical constellation known as the Brunies family. Taking over the piano stool in the aforementioned orchestra was not his only connection. Music for Angry was written by sibling Henry Brunies and Jules Cassard, while Mecum provided lyrics. Those seeking a savage indictment of big business will be disappointed with the lyrics to Angry. In fact, it would be safe to say that the trite text of this ditty, totally lacking in inspiration, would be a letdown no matter what the listener is looking for. The tune remained popular because of its bouncing ragtime rhythms and chord progressions, even though a few vocalists such as Perry Como managed to breathe some romance into the lyrics.

Despite these shortcoming, by 1929 Mecum had become a full-time songwriter. Some of his other published pieces included How's You're Folks and My Folks, one of several numbers that the pianist and vocalist Art Gillham recorded during a series of important tests of new electric microphone technology. I've Got the Blues for Tennessee, one of many songs written about this state, was co-written by Mecum along with Cal DeVoll and Wallace Bradley. Mecum and DeVoll teamed up with Dave Manley to create the extremely popular Lazy River. Mecum also appears as vocalist on a recording of the tune 42nd Street from the Don Bestor orchestra. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi